Update on the Life Cycle of a plate

Well, we've been at it almost a week now and I can see some slow changes. The dishes are a huge part of our messy kitchen and the girls have been helping so it is working! Yeah! The clothes, dirty and clean, on the other hand are still...well...er....ah....I am still working on last weeks' clean clothes. That one is going to take more time.

Here are our three and my brother's two a few months ago.

A new thing

We are trying a new thing at home these days. I have been going crazy with the "systems" at our house. I am a MAJOR random abstract girl. I have never been good at finding a place for everything. My mom went crazy trying to get me to clean my room growing up. So it really should be no surprise that I have born and raised(not fully yet) at least one random abstract little person. My husband has endured my randomness for almost 10 years! So when he told me what he thought was the solution the other day I was a bit offended. Did I need a solution? Well, it appears so.

SO, he says that we don't "finish the loop". He says there is a life cycle for everything...we are still making a list. So it was pretty funny the other day when he walked the kids around the house talking to them about the life cycle of the plates, the toys, the clothes etc. The idea is that everything has a place and it needs to go back there. We introduced a payment system as well, thanks to some friends. We are paying per job and talking about where things live a lot. Sample question: "Caleb does the book live on the floor?" The girls are on board right now but we, and I mean ME need to stop being so random and actually follow a plan and maybe, just maybe we'll have some order around here.

Jane Austen and a Women's retreat

I have been enjoying watching movies of Jane Austen's books lately on channel 2. I have tried in vain to read her books but when there is a movie it is too much temptation for me. I think Northanger Abbey is a new favorite of mine.

This weekend I had the chance to attend a women's retreat with the ladies at our church. It was a sweet time of laughing, praying, crying and sad to say, eating. I could have braved the cold with the other's for a morning walk but I declined.

We listened to a cd recording of Helen Roseveare from a Desiring God conference last fall. It was about finishing well and digging ditches for the Lord. If you are intrigued then check it out at desiringgod.org. We also had the priviledge of hearing from one of our own who has had a journey toward trusting God that many don't have. I am blessed to be in such good company of ladies who value a deep abiding love of God and who can laugh at themselves. One of the ladies lead us in a session of yoga and we laughed so hard as we "push our bums up" and try not to fall over doing some balancing exercises.